Optimizing WordPress Development for SEO and Conversion Rate Optimization
In the realm of WordPress and WooCommerce development, one of the most pressing questions for many developers is: what is your preferred approach for building a site that is both optimally designed for user experience and effective for SEO?
Development Strategies: Page Builders vs. Custom Solutions
When starting a new project, do you lean towards utilizing page builders, despite their potential for bloating the site? Alternatively, do you favor tools like Gutenberg or Advanced Custom Fields (ACF) alongside other block editors that require minimal additional plugins? Or do you take a different path altogether, beginning with a well-thought-out UI/UX design before venturing into fully customized development?
In my own practice, I often choose to adopt a completely custom UI design strategy. By opting to develop everything from the ground up—eschewing frameworks like Bootstrap—I find that I can create incredibly lightweight sites. This minimalistic approach not only enhances Core Web Vitals (CWV) but also streamlines the setup of schema and encourages the use of semantic HTML.
That said, I recognize that each project has its own unique requirements. For client projects where extensive customization isn’t essential, I sometimes incorporate ACF or utilize block editors to maintain efficiency while ensuring the sites are user-friendly.
I would love to hear about your development processes. What strategies do you employ for creating WordPress websites that are optimized for both SEO and conversion rate performance? Share your thoughts and insights!